Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just bought a hermanns tortoise. His name is Timli. He was a breeder. I am pretty sure that his first owners hibernated him. I have never hibernated a tortoise before, what I am wondering is do I have to hibernate him, and if I do I would like some information on hibernating a tortoise.

My other question is what generally do they eat. I have been feeding him alfafa hay, carrots(shreaded), green beans, broccoli, and spring mix lettuce( dandelion greends, etc.) I have also been giving him a calcium substrate on his food. I have read about buying them cuddle bones. Is this a good idea? If anyone knows anything about hermanns tortoises please respond to this message.

I know a little about them because I have researched them on the net and I bought a book on mediterranean tortoises, but I don't feel like I know enough.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

It sounds like you got it under control.

As to the hibernation, it is not a nceessity unless you let the conditions fall to where you induce the urge. You really don't want to do this unless you want to breed the animal and even then it might not be a nesessity.

Hibernation is a reaction to unfavorable conditions. That should tell you something.

Along with what you are doing, pay close attention to heat and hydration. Your diet sounds great. Just make sure you have a warm, humid hide and you should raise a beautiful looking hermans.
-----
Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

As I stated earlier I am new at this whole tortoise thing. I had a baby hermanns tortoise last year and she mysteriously died. I don't want the same thing to happen this time. I am curious about my tank setup as far as lighting goes. I have a 100 watt UV bulb for daytime basking and I also run a Tropical terrain UV light. The tank tempurature is usually around 85-90 degrees. At night time I switch over to a 75 watt night time bulb and I run a heating mat under the tank. The nighttime tempurature is usually around 70-80 degrees. Does this sound normal?

I am also curious about soaking your tortoise? I read somewhere that soaking them twice a week is necessary. What if they encounter the water briefly several times a day on their own? Is soaking still necessary?

Thank you for reading this and please reply if you can help.

I have two baby Hermanns and they are fairly easy to take care of. Your lighting sounds okay. Your higher temps sound good and your night time temps. Make sure you have a cool side that he can go to if he gets to warm. I wouldn't go lower than 70. I was turning off my heat lights at night but my little guys are too young and caught a cold. I have heard that the under tank heaters are not good for torts so I don't use them. You might want to do some more checking on that. I keep fresh water and food in the pen for them everyday. Mine are really little so I soak mine daily for about ten minutes. If yours is older maybe soaking him every other day would be good for about ten minutes in warm shallow water. I would soak him even if he is drinking on his own just in case. You don't want to let him get dehyrated. Good luck with they little guy! They are so much fun.
-----
Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
2 Finches
2 Betta
1 Cat